WINFIELD, Kan. – Southwestern College softball's final home games of 2023 were played on Saturday afternoon, as they squad hosted the McPherson College Bulldogs. The Moundbuilders continued to show that they can compete within the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC), fighting the Bulldogs all the way into extra innings in both battles. In the end, SC would fall in both games after eight innings of play. The final scores ended up 7-3 and 5-1, respectively.
Jumping in front early, the Builders received a run-scoring single from Alexus Johnson in the bottom of the first. Isabel Lytle came in to score the first run of the ballgame for either side, resulting in a 1-0 lead for SC after one.
McPherson would counter with a sacrifice fly in the second, tying the score at 1-1, which is where the score would stay until the fifth inning of the tilt.
The Bulldogs took their first lead in the top of the fifth frame on a single through the right side, putting the pressure on Southwestern over their final three times at the plate.
Loren Wright was thrust into a clutch situation in the bottom of the seventh, as she headed to the box with two outs and a runner standing at second base. She fell behind 0-2 in the count, but did not let that deter her. She ended up lacing a single into right-center field to drive in Lytle. The hit tied the game at 2-2 in the very last moments of regulation, sending the bout into extra frames.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs caught fire in the top of the eighth, scoring five runs in total. Four RBI singles, and an error on one of them, brought home the five tallies. Southwestern would be able to get one of those runs back in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI infield single by Zoe Berger, but that would conclude things, as SC dropped the tilt by a final of 7-3 in eight innings.
Even fewer runs were scored throughout game two, as the Moundbuilders grabbed a single run in the first for the second game in a row. L. Wright's RBI single on a blooper over the third baseman brought in Rayven Favors to give the Builders an early 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs again were able to grab that run back in the very next frame, scoring on a fielding error by the Builders. The game would be tied from that point on, as extra innings would be needed to break the tie for the second straight battle.
McPherson's great eighth-inning output in game one would nearly be matched with four runs in the top of the eighth in the second matchup. An RBI fielder's choice began the scoring in the frame, and then a three-run triple was hit after MC loaded the bases. All told, four runs scored, putting the Bulldogs up 5-1. Southwestern could not strike back, as the game ended with that score.
Al. Johnson (3-for-8, RBI, R) led the team with three hits on the day, while Lytle (2-for-6, 2 R), Favors (2-for-7, R), L. Wright (2-for-7, 2 RBI) and Berger (2-for-7, RBI) each had two hits. Single hits were tallied by Natalie Davis (1-for-7, 2B), Taylor Powers (1-for-1), Ryleigh Branstetter (1-for-3) and Kelsey Daniel (1-for-2).
7.1 innings of the opening game of the day were pitched by Al. Johnson, as she allowed five earned runs and seven runs, overall. She gave up 11 hits and struck out two, while walking four hitters. Jordan Gates tossed the final 0.2 innings in the eighth, allowing just one hit and one walk. In game two, Branstetter tossed all eight innings, allowing just two earned tallies out of five runs afforded to the Bulldogs. She surrendered seven hits and three walks, while punching out a pair of MC batters.
After two hard-fought extra-inning losses on Senior Day, where SC honored the trio of Raen Holding, Jecca Autry and Daniel, the Builders (5-34, 3-19 KCAC) have just two battles left on the 2023 schedule. The matchups will be played at York University in York, Neb. on Monday, Apr. 24, with the first game beginning at 12 p.m.
--buildersports.com--
